VISTA DE AMISTAD

Recently, I had the most amazing conversation with a Little Preacher Man.
I love when that happens!
While on the playground at my preschool, my Little Preacher Man started telling me (in Spanish) about a heavenly encounter he had. He started to describe how God had shown him heaven and he had seen Jesus. He described in detail how kind Jesus was and how beautiful heaven appeared.
I asked him, “Is this a real story or pretend?”
He said, “Real”, with this cute little expression that implied, “Duh, teacher.”
Sorry, adults can be slow sometimes.

Now some of you may think that preschoolers can’t have personal encounters with Jesus, but I beg to differ. Children have been known to paint images of heaven and Jesus. Children have had visions and dreams of Jesus and received prophetic messages that align with scripture. I’ve seen a video of a child with autism who had heavenly encounters and visions of angels and Jesus. He was able to type these messages and encounters on his iPad. His writings have been released into a book called Josiah's Fire by Tahni Cullen.

That is why Jesus said to let the little children come to Him because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. (Matthew 19:14)
Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. (Matthew 5:8)

God, our Abba Father, wants us to have childlike faith. The kind of faith that jumps off the edge of pools into our daddy’s arms and allows us to be thrown high in the air knowing that our Abba Father will catch us. I envy, in a good way, that type of childlike faith.

As this Little Preacher Man described the heavenly kingdom, the vocabulary he used was not your typical preschool vocabulary. He used descriptive words that an educated adult would use. By this time, he had my rapt attention. As he stood on the platform of the play structure and I stood at the base of the stairs, I listened in complete awe as if I were listening to Billy Graham give a sermon to a packed arena.

A co-teacher called out to greet me, and I had to give her the “hold-on a minute” gesture because I didn’t want the sermon to end. I was a captive audience to the Little Preacher Man.
As he kept looking up to the sky, and I asked him, “What are you looking at?”
He said, “Jesus.”
I looked up and could only see blue sky and clouds.
I asked, “Why can you see Him and I can’t?”
He said, “Tengo vista de amistad.”
Huh?
The whistle blew and it was time to line up. Dang it!
I wanted to say, “Come back, come back. Tell me what is vista de amistad and how do I get it.”

Later, I asked a Spanish-speaking teacher the meaning of “vista de amistad”. Her reply floored me!
She said, “Vista de amistad means to see something through the eyes of friendship.”

Holy Moly!

That’s the key to see into the gates of heaven. It’s all about personal relationship. It’s like the marriage relationship. The Bible says that when two people get married they become one. It’s not only one in flesh, but also united spiritually and mentally. When you have been married for a while, you get the point when you can almost read what the other person is thinking just by their facial expression. You can finish each other’s sentences. You grow more and more similar in thought, action, and purpose. Jesus calls Himself our Bridegroom and the Church His Bride. When we invite Jesus to come into our hearts as our LORD and Savior, the Holy Spirit seals us with an engagement ring. We are eternally bound to Jesus because of His unfailing love for us. He never leaves us or forsakes us.

That is the type of close personal marriage relationship Jesus wants with us while we are here on earth. That is how we achieve vista de amistad.
Lately, I’ve been watching videos and hearing of people having awesome prophetic dreams and visions. Many are dreaming of the Rapture, that moment when our Bridegroom orders the trumpets to be blown, steps through the clouds, opens up His arms to receive us, and calls His Bride home. I can’t wait!!
God said in Joel 2:28-30 (NKJV)

And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;

Your sons and daughters shall prophecy, 

Your old men shall dream dreams, 

Your young men shall see visions.

And also on My menservants and on My maidservants

I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth…

So, all I want for Christmas this year is for God to pour out more of His Spirit on me. I want dreams and visions of Jesus. Most of all, I want vista de amistad!

However, just like marriage takes time and dedication to stay healthy so does our relationship with Jesus. We foster our vista de amistad by making Jesus the greatest priority in our life. He must be our all and all, even above our spouse and children. It’s not that we neglect our family but God’s Word says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and all other things will be given to you.” (Matthew 6:33)
In order to love our husbands, children, and others like God wants us to love them, we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. And the closer we walk with Jesus, the more we are in His presence, the more will will begin to reflect Him.
So, just like a great love affair flourishes with great care we must give great care to our relationship with Jesus.

Psalm 116:1, 5-9(NLT)

I love the LORD because 

He hears my voice and my prayer for mercy.

Because He bends down to listen,

 I will pray as long as I have breath!

How kind the LORD is!

How good He is!

So merciful, this God of ours!

The LORD protects those of CHILDLIKE faith…

I was facing death and He saved me.

He has saved me from death,

 my eyes from tears,

 and my feet from stumbling.

And so I walk in the LORD’S presence as I live here on earth.

My Christmas wish for every person reading this is that God gifts you with an outpouring of His Spirit, that you obtain vista de amistad so that you can walk in the LORD'S presence here on earth and be ready to hear the trumpet blast when Jesus calls us home.
Merry Christmas,
Yolanda

THE STAR - Will You See It?

I went to see the movie, The Star, which tells the story of the birth of Jesus from the perspective of the barnyard animals. For being a secular film by Sony, I was pleasantly surprised and impressed. The movie had a great soundtrack and they honored Jesus by sticking very close to the Biblical account of the birth of our Savior.

I was very excited to invite my teen daughter to the movie since it was our first official day of Thanksgiving break. The fact that she had an unchurched friend visiting was just an added bonus. What a great witnessing opportunity to have someone see John 3:16 come to life, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”

With teens, there has to be some form of bribery involved in order to get them to wake up before 11 am, especially if it is for an animated film guaranteed to attract a theater full of preschoolers. So, I used a mall trip as a bargaining tool. Well, you’d think I’d ask them to jump off a cliff or something horrid like that. "What, you want us to see an animated Christian film on our first day of break?"

Blah, blah, blah, whine, whine, whine, complain, complain, complain.
I did the whole “FINE” mom voice and let them skip the movie. While they walked the mall, I took myself to the movies and enjoyed a theater full of appreciative preschoolers (who are better movie critics anyways). They all clapped at the end of the film.

I have to admit I was disappointed, not because I had to sit in the theater by myself, but because we missed a beautiful opportunity to share the miracle of Christmas with a friend. But, God has an amazing way of speaking to us where we are at. As we were driving to the mall, the car was pretty quiet. I had a Christian radio station playing quietly when all of a sudden a speaker comes on and says something like, “There are friends who are unsaved in your life who are watching you. They don’t know Jesus and don’t have the hope you have. If you don’t show them Jesus then who will?”

That message touched my heart and permeated in the car. My daughter looked at me and said, “Are you mad that we are not going?”
I said, “No, I’m not mad. It’s OK.”
How could I explain, “I’m not mad. I’m sad. I’m disappointed.”

As I watched a truly beautiful film, I got teary eyed with this little sheep called Ruth. Ruth had left her flock behind to follow the star because she knew the star would lead her to something wonderful. She tells her little donkey friend, “When I first saw the star, I tried to tell my old flock to follow it with me but they wouldn’t so I struck out on my own. It was hard.”

I often feel like that little sheep because sometimes I’m so excited to tell my old flock that there’s a wonderful promise of a Savior waiting for us under the Light of that Star, but they won’t follow me. So I’m left to strike out on my own. And it is hard. But Jesus never promised us the road to follow Him would be easy. He actually warned us that it would be hard and that not many would follow. BUT He promised it would be worth it.
It would be so worth it!

John 1:10-16
Jesus was in the world, and though God made the world through him, yet the world did not recognize him. He came to his own country, but his own people did not receive him.  Some, however, did receive him and believed in him; so he gave them the right to become God's children. They did not become God's children by natural means, that is, by being born as the children of a human father; God himself was their Father.
Jesus became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father's only Son....
Out of the fullness of his grace he has blessed us all, giving us one blessing after another.

This holiday season, go see The Star movie. Invite a friend who needs the hope of Christmas, which is literally "more of Christ". Don’t grow weary of being Ruth, the little sheep. Not all will follow but some might. Some will follow us to see and receive Jesus, the Everlasting Light, the Bright and Morning Star, Prince of Peace, the Savior of World. The people around us are watching us. Are they seeing Jesus in us? Are we sharing the hope of Jesus with them, because if not us, then who?

Happy Thanksgiving!
Love,
Yolanda

International Day of Prayer For The Persecuted Church 2017

Sunday, November 5th is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. As Christians, we are called to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering for their faith in Jesus Christ. 

Hebrews 13:3 (NLT)
Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.

Christian Freedom International has found that more than 200 million followers are facing persecution in 105 countries. This makes Christianity the most persecuted religion in the world.
https://www.christiantoday.com/article/one.christian.is.martyred.every.five.minutes.persecution.watchdog.reports/65368.htm

We are called One Body, under Christ, and when one part of the body suffers we all suffer. According to Voice of the Martyrs website, the most common request from those who are suffering for their faith is “Pray for us.”  Prayer is the most powerful weapon we have against the dark forces of evil that are persecuting God’s people. United in prayer, God moves heaven and earth to unleash His miracle power. He ushers His Angel Army to work miracles, just like the chains were broken and prison doors opened when the saints prayed while Paul and Silas were in prison (Acts 16:26) and an angel of the LORD opened the prison doors when the apostles had been arrested (Acts 5:19).

When we pray, as one body, in Jesus Name:
Chains of bondage are broken.
Prison doors are opened.
Family and friends are reunited,
And, the hardened hearts of jailers are softened, changed by the witness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ being lived out.

Proverbs 24:11-12 (NIV)
Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.
If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards your life know it?
Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?

The Apostle Paul warned Believers, “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” (2 Timothy 3:12)
Jesus warned Believers, “You will be hated for My sake.” (Matthew 10:22)
So, today we pray for our brothers and sisters being persecuted and tomorrow they may be praying for us.
Those who have been martyred for their faith are in heaven looking down on earth and on us. What will they see us doing?
Revelation 6:9-11
When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O LORD, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.

I don’t want to offer God excuses, “I didn’t know about this?”
God weighs my heart and I want to have God’s heart for the persecuted church.
So, join me in praying for the Persecuted Church not only Sunday but everyday.
Love,
Yolanda

I’d like to end with a beautiful poem written by a friend in honor and dedicated to the 21 Coptic Christian martyrs and those persecuted for their faith in Jesus around the world.

The Color of Courage

Was it a man or a woman

Garbed in a rob of black

That issued the jumpsuit of terror

And quickly turned their back?

People of the Cross decided

To stand firm in their faith that day

Eyes fixed on Jesus, their Savior,

They followed Him all the way.

He knew the path they were taking.

He had been down that road before.

He knew it would lead to glory

On a far and distant shore.

Pray that the blood of these martyrs

Will bring people to Him,

Knowing that Christ has the victory

And over evil will win.

Orange is the “Color of Courage”

Issued only to people who stand,

In faith, completely devoted

Trusting His all-knowing Hand.

So wear proudly the “Color of Courage”

While evil has its way,

And pray for our brothers and sisters

Who are dying in faith everyday.

Written by Darla J.  Short-Lewis

CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT

Now concerning the End Times and how and when this will all happen, my brothers and sisters in Christ...
You know quite well that the day of the LORD'S return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night...
BUT
You aren't in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won't be surprised when the day of the LORD comes like a thief. For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don't belong to the darkness and night. 
SO, be on guard, not asleep like the others!
Stay alert and clear headed!
Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk.
But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation!
For God chose to save us through our LORD Jesus Christ, not to pour out His anger on us. Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when He returns, we can live with Him forever. 
So encourage each other and build each other up with these words...
Now may the GOD of Peace make you holy in every way, and my your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our LORD Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for He who calls you in is Faithful!
1 Thessalonians 5:1-2;4-11;23 (NLT)

LORD, thank you for dying on the cross for my sins, and through Your death on the cross I was given the helmet of salvation that I can wear with confidence. Help me to hold my shield of faith close to my heart to protect me from the fiery arrows of the evil one. Give me courage to stand my ground and be on guard, alert, and clearheaded. Help me to encourage others with Your Word.
In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.
Love,
Yolanda

Good Night Bedtime Prayer

Now I lay me down to sleep.
I pray the LORD my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I thank the LORD my soul He'll take.
To be in Your Presence, LORD, is my heart's desire,
For the evils of this world surely tire.
But, if I should live for another day,
I pray the Lord to guide my ways.
Help me, LORD, to do what is right.
May I always keep your Word within my sight.
FATHER, to You and in Jesus' name I pray,
You have guarded me all the day;
Safe I am while in Your sight,
Safely let me sleep tonight.
Bless my friends and family, Jesus, the whole world bless;
Comfort us in our distress.
Keep me ever in Your sight;
So to all I say good night.

Love,
Yolanda

Psalm 63:1-8;62:1-2 (NKJV)

O God, You are my God;

Early will I seek You;

My soul thirst for You....

Because Your loving kindness is better than life, my lips will praise You.

When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.

Because You have been my help, therefore 

in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. 

My soul follows close behind You; 

Your right hand upholds me.

Truly my soul silently waits for God;

From Him comes my salvation.

He only is my rock and my salvation; 

He is my defense, 

I shall not be greatly moved.

GOD, HELP ME TO STAND

My prayer this morning was, “God, help me to stand, even if I stand alone.”
Well, I guess God knew I needed this prayer today.
You see, today was the See You At The Pole – National Day of Student Prayer (SYATP).
This event has been going on for 25 years and its purpose is to unite students in prayer, interceding for their generation, nation, and schools. Throughout the nation, students will meet at their flagpoles at 7:00 a.m. to pray.

You may think, “It’s a student event. Why would you be there?”
Well…
Last year, my daughter transferred from a very small, conservative charter school to a very large public high school. On SYATP last year, I asked my daughter to participate with other Christian students at her new school. NO ONE SHOWED UP so no one prayed. When my daughter told me after school, her exact words were, “Now, mom, I know you are going to be really depressed about this.”
I was.
I went into a kind of mourning period. I was very sad and disappointed. I also regretted and questioned my decision to take her out of a very sheltered conservative environment and placing her in the lion’s den so to speak.

So this year, as SYATP approached, I decided I was not going to let this day go unattended at her school. I advertised the event on the school’s parent social media page. I threw it out there saying, “So, is anyone participating in this event? Is anyone going to head this up? Is anyone else going to stand up and pray? Anyone, anyone, anyone?”

I got a lot of social media hearts and thumbs up but no leadership commitment. Last night on the social media post, I said, “OK, so tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. Right?" Again, a lot of hearts and thumbs up. I was feeling pretty good about the whole thing. I’d done my part. I was the marketing rep. I figured that's what God had called me to do, just get the word out. Someone else would gladly take over from here.

As the fear and doubts set in, I even questioned my need to be there. Surely, other parents and their students had it under control. You see, I work at a wonderful Christian School. When you mention a prayer event, it’s just a given that people are going to show up. You stand by the flag and start praying, and people will always join you. But, going into the center of a very large, intimidating public school parking lot had me sweating!

I told my daughter who was totally freaking out and not wanting to get out of the car, “Your mom is not some super Christian. This is hard for me. This is WAY out of my comfort zone. So, I don’t mind if you stay in the car. It’s OK. I get it. These are your peers. But, I have to do this. I put the word out there. After, I told people to show up, how could I not? And if I don’t stand for Jesus today, when I have the freedom to do so, I will not stand for Him when those freedoms are gone.”

So, we arrived at the parking lot at 6:55 am and there were already a lot of kids on campus but the flagpole was empty. My daughter was like, “Mom, what are you going to do if no one shows up?”
"I’m going to go stand there by myself."
My daughter was shocked. “You’re going to go stand there all alone?”
"Yep."
So, 6:58 – no one.
6:59 – no one
7:00 a.m. – no one. Time to get out of the car.
It was literally one of the longest walks of my life. I stood in the center of the school parking lot and said, “OK, God. I’m standing here all alone and I’m OK. I’m just going to walk around this pole and pray. I’m going to pray for young men and women to rise up in courage and boldness for Jesus on this campus. I’m going to pray for protection over this school.”

After a few minutes, one mom walked up with her two teens and joined me. Then, another brave young man, and before long it was five of us around the pole praying. Then, my daughter joined us and little by little students and parents trickled in.  By 7:15 a.m., we had a group of about 20 people circling the flagpole. We prayed in unity and in Jesus Name for this next generation of students who are facing a very challenging future.

I feel for these Christian students who are entering a world where wrong is right and right is wrong. Where evil is glorified and goodness is vilified. Where grown men and women are bowing down to political correctness and refusing to stand for righteousness. As our young people see the adults around them giving into evil and temptation, breaking up their families and homes, who are compromising in their own walks with God. How can we expect them to stand when we won’t?

So today, God wanted me to stand alone - even if it was just for a few minutes. He wanted me to stand firm on my faith. To walk the talk. He promised to be with me, to never leave me, to give me His courage to walk to that flagpole knowing that I may be the only one to show up.

So, Christian parents it is time to stand for Jesus for the sake of our children - even if we stand alone. We must model for them what it looks like to stand for Jesus. Because Jesus said, "If you acknowledge Me before others, I will acknowledge you before My Father in heaven, but if you deny Me before others, I will deny you before My Father in heaven." (Matthew 10:32)

My Christian brothers and sisters, it’s time to stand for Jesus for the sake of our nation - even if we stand alone.
Because all it takes is for one person to stand up. One person standing for Jesus and righteousness will give courage to another and then to another and so on and so on. Before we know it, we will be a crowd of witnesses standing together for Jesus and changing our families, schools, communities and nation. We can restore our nation to One Nation under God if His people who are called by His Name will stand for Him and pray.

Isaiah 51:1-2
"Listen to Me, all who hope for deliverance - all who seek the LORD!...
Abraham was only ONE man when I called him. But I blessed him, he became a great nation. 
Ephesians 6:10-14
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the LORD and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil…When the Day of Evil comes, STAND YOUR GROUND and after you have done everything – STAND. STAND FIRM! 

I'm standing for Jesus! Will you?
Love,
Yolanda

 

Carry One Another's Burdens

This school year has started out kind of yucky.
Not our preschool – our preschool is actually thriving and is a blessed refuge for our students, parents, and staff.
But, on a personal level, my sisters-in-Christ and I seem to be experiencing spiritual attacks from all sides:

• Medical illnesses appearing suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere
• Physical, emotional, and spiritual issues trying to rob us of our peace and joy
• Financial stresses that want to put us in bondage of fear and worry
• Daily life struggles and the worries that come from raising teens and young adults 
• And, the tragic loss of a dear friend that pulled the rug from under us and knocked the wind out of our sails.

See, yucky is putting it mildly.

Last year we were riding high - weddings, blessings, and miracles that made us stand up and say, “GOD, You are amazing!”

It was all good! But then this year, “Crash, boom, bang!”
I feel like the runner pictured above. How about you? Do you feel like you've fallen and can't get up?

During the 2014 Boston Marathon, the runner pictured above collapsed a few hundred feet from the finish line. Two fellow runners stopped, put their arms around him, and tried to help him walk. However, his legs could not carry him further. So, two additional runners stopped, picked up his legs, and the four of them carried him over the finish line where the crowd erupted in loud applause.

I think one of the reasons I grieved the loss of my friend, Donna, so much is that she was someone I could count on to carry one of my legs. Few people really get me. I’m kind of a mess, a ball of stress, I fixate on End Time prophecy to the point of being annoying, and I can get a little heavy handed and abrasive when it comes to politics. But Donna got me. She would gently correct me when I got out of hand. She would encourage and talk me off the cliff when I struggled with End Time fear. Without her, I feel like one of my legs is dangling a few hundred feet from the finish line.

This picture reminded me of the scripture verses, Hebrews 12:1-2:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

I did a little research and discovered the “great crowd of witnesses” is the heroes of the faith listed in Hebrews chapter 11 - Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Samson, David, etc. These heroes persevered and overcame extreme hardships and trials and God commended them for their faith. Paul speaks of these witnesses as our examples of faith to emulate when we face our own trials. They kept their eyes focused on the promises of God and the coming Messiah. In each of their trials, God showed Himself faithful. They finished their races well, so we should look to them as trainers in the race of faith. Looking at their examples, we see that the race set before us is not a sprint but a marathon, which is why the Word says that we must run with perseverance and endurance.

But sometimes no matter how hard we train, an unexpected injury, fatigue, or an unforeseen obstacle can trip us up.
Sometimes, we stumble and fall, and no matter how hard we try to hobble along, we need someone to help us back up again.

For the last couple months, I’ve had these divine appointments with people: in parking lots, in stores, at my daughter’s school, and usually when I’m least expecting it. These people are suffering with illness, divorce, and hardships. God is leading me to pray for them right there on the spot. Sometimes, I don’t even know what to say or worse I can’t remember their name, but just putting my arms around them and praying seems to help get their eyes focused back on Jesus. Which is really all I can do because Jesus is the only Healer and source of hope. Maybe, God is placing me in their lives for that moment, just to pick them up and get them a little closer to their own finish line.

Below, I have posted a video of  Derek Redmond who during the 1992 Olympics tore a hamstring 175 meters from the finish line. Instead of quitting, he lifted himself up and started to hobble down the track. His father forced his way through the crowd and security to reach his son and helped his sobbing son complete the race.
YouTube video link: Inspirational Olympic Moment -Father and Son Finish the Race Together

Watching the video, I thought:
Sometimes we’re the runner with the torn hamstring hobbling to the finish line needing a strong shoulder to lean on.
Sometimes, God wants us to be like the father running towards his son, lending a helping hand to a fellow runner who has fallen.
But, always, we can count on God, our Father, making His way through the crowd, forcing His way through security, not letting any obstacle get in His way from reaching us when we have fallen. God wraps His loving arms around us, gives us His strength to carry on, and travels with us to the finish line.

I’d like to end with an excerpt from the story of this Olympic runner, Derek, and his dad.

 "I'm here, son," Jim says softly, hugging his boy. "We'll finish together." Derek puts his arms around his father's shoulders and sobs. Together, arm in arm, father and son, with 65,000 people cheering, clapping and crying, finish the race, just as they vowed they would. A couple steps from the finish line, and with the crowd in an absolute frenzy, Jim releases the grip he has on his son, so Derek could cross the finish line by himself. Then he throws his arms around Derek again, both crying, along with everyone in the stands and on TV. "I'm the proudest father alive," he tells the press afterwards, tears in his eyes. "I'm prouder of him than I would have been if he had won the gold medal. It took a lot of guts for him to do what he did."

In our season of trails, let's fix our eyes on Jesus, our Champion who initiates and perfects our faith. As He continues to prefect our faith, we must be ready for those divine appointments because He is going to send hurting people our way to share the hope and faith we have within us. So, we can’t let our trials keep us down. We must stand up. We must move forward. We must lead the way so that others can follow. And, let’s also remember the crowd of witnesses who have gone before us who are standing at the finish line cheering us on, including my friend Donna who I imagine is cheering the loudest. When we cross that finish line, God will say to us, “I’m the proudest Father alive!”

So, Brothers and Sisters in Christ, let's carry one another's burdens in prayer. Because prayer is the only way to tap into the Power Source that will strengthen us to make it through this season so…
Let us take a new grip with our tired hands and strengthen our weak knees. Let us mark out a straight path for our feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong. Hebrews 12:12-13 (NLT)
Let us return to the LORD and rest in Him, for only then will we be saved. In quietness and confidence is our strength. The LORD waits for us to come to Him so He can show us His love and compassion. For the LORD is a Faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for His Help. Isaiah 30:15,18

Love,
Yolanda

This post is dedicated to my beloved sisters-in-Christ who I am blessed enough to call co-workers and family.

National Day of Prayer for Texas - September 3rd

Tomorrow, September 3rd, has been declared by President Trump to be a National Day of Prayer for Texas and all the victims of Hurricane Harvey. Abraham Lincoln signed a similar proclamation during the Civil War (1863) imploring God to hear from heaven and heal our land. Abraham Lincoln wrote that only a nation whose God was the LORD would be blessed. My prayer for tomorrow is similar in spirit to the one Abraham Lincoln' prayed. He was a man burdened for his nation and longed for God's healing touch. My prayer is that God would hear our united cry for Him to heal our land from the devastation of this natural disaster, but more importantly, to heal our land from the devastation being caused by human hands and hearts.

I recently heard a pastor talk about all of the ugliness, hatred, violence that has permeated our nation as being a manifestation of the spirit of the antichrist. He said that the hatred being displayed by some is not political, economical, or even logical. It is the spirit of the antichrist that is preparing the way for his ultimate reign over the nations as the global leader.

However, in these dark days, the Church has been given a very specific mission from God. We are called and commissioned to restrain the spirit of the antichrist.

2 Thessalonians 2:7
For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 

The restrainer of the spirit of lawlessness is the Holy Spirit. The Church is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior are the Church. So, the Church is the restrainer! Our job is to restrain the mystery of lawlessness until Jesus takes us out of the way (Rapture). Whether you believe the Rapture occurs before, mid, or after 7 years of Tribulation does not matter. Our job is the same until Jesus blows the trumpet and calls us home. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

So, tomorrow, it's time for the Church to unite. Jesus has commanded us to be ONE in Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote, "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free - and have all been made to drink unto one Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:13) A church united in prayer in Jesus Name is powerful. There is no other name greater than Jesus. There is no other name under heaven by which a person or a nation can be saved. There is no weapon formed against it that can prosper. It's time to pray in the authority He has given us by the shedding of His blood on the cross. In these last days, we must set aside all our petty differences and preach as the Apostle Paul preached.

One message - the Cross.

Paul said when it came to preaching he stuck to the main message, Jesus Christ and Him crucified because the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:2, 1:18)

It's time for the church to get back to the basics - Jesus and the saving power of the cross. The Apostle Paul exhorted the Church to "watch, stand firm in the faith, be brave, be strong and that everything we do be done in love." (1 Corinthians 16:13)

So, tomorrow, if you are called by God to be a part of the restraining power of the Holy Spirit against the spirit of lawlessness, let's forget politics and unite under the headship of Jesus Christ and cry out to the God of Israel and pray for healing in our land.

LORD, GOD, we come before you in humility, united by the Holy Spirit and covered by the blood of the Lamb and ask that you hear our prayer.
Your Word says that if we, Your people called by Your name, come before you, humble themselves and seek Your face, turn from our wicked ways, and pray You will hear from heaven and heal our land. So, LORD, we come before You and ask that You heal our land from the devastation of this hurricane and other natural disasters coming, recede the waters, comfort those who have lost their homes, possessions, loved ones, and provide for their needs in supernatural ways. Open up the floodgates of heaven and rain down Your provision. Thank you, Jesus, for those who have responded to the call to help those who are suffering. Strengthen them for the work, protect them from harm, and bless their labors. LORD, revive Your church, strengthen us by the power of Holy Spirit to stand firm in the faith, to be brave and strong so that we can restrain the spirit of the antichrist that is trying to destroy our nation. Help us to stand in the gap in prayer and love for the people of this nation. We ask You, O God of Israel, the Great I AM, to pour out Your healing power over Texas and America, not because we are worthy but because You are a God of mercy, unfailing love, and compassion. We pray in the Name above every name, Jesus - the root of David, the bright and Morning Star, the Lion from the Tribe of Judah, our Victorious King, the One who is and was and is to come. Amen.

Love,
Yolanda

LEAVE A LEGACY OF BLESSING - Dedicated to My Friend Donna

Yesterday, I lost a very good friend. She was taken too soon in a terrible car accident. You know those moments that take your breath away, not in a good way, but complete shock and heartbreak.

One moment she’s making you laugh because she was the epitome of godly joy and the next moment she’s gone home to be with the LORD, where I am sure she is making Him smile and laugh.

I remember when I first met her I just wanted to give her a hug. She seemed to me to be a good hugger. Since I’d just met her I didn't want to freak her out and throwing my arms around her may have been a little weird. After I got to know her though, I’d sneak a hug once in a while.

She was literally joy and energy. Always doing a million different things for other people and just giving of her self to others. Everyone she encountered smiled. It was like God had put her here on earth with a very special mission. I can imagine God saying, “Donna, I created you in your mother’s womb with an abundance of beautiful curly hair that will have a mind of it’s own. I have gifted you with an infectious laugh that will reach into the third heaven and will bring Me joy on My throne where I will laugh with you. I have given you a beautiful smile that will light up the room. And, when you come to know me as LORD and Savior, I will give you a new heart – My heart – for you are created in My image capable of so much love that everyone who meets you will see Me.”

When you lose someone so unexpectedly you question, “Why God? Why her? We need her here on earth with us.”

However, as I sit here writing because writing is my therapy and how I process grief, I know why God took her home.
She accomplished her God given special mission.
Everyone who met her encountered Jesus.
Everyone who talked to her heard His Word.
Everyone who heard her laugh heard His laugh.
Everyone who saw her teach children, care for others, worked with her, experienced her compassion, her thoughtfulness and selflessness saw a reflection of Jesus Christ.

I remember a few years ago, she was looking good! She was healthy and fit, melting before my eyes. We both struggled with our weight and we could empathize with one another. I asked her, “What are you doing?”
Her response was classic and cracked me up.
“Well, I started going to the gym at 4:30 a.m. and taking spin class. Then I decided to go for a walk and thought to myself, ‘I think I’ll start running.’ So, I took off running and I haven’t stopped.”

I just stood there laughing because who just starts running! My friend, that’s who. I remember being totally inspired. I thought to myself, “If my friend can do it, so can I.” And I started running. And that led to 5Ks and feeling healthy and it was all because of her. I remember her humbly telling me how people at the gym would come up to her and tell her how inspiring she was. And she was so surprised thinking what was the big deal about her. Well, I knew what the big deal was. I can imagine for those people dragging themselves into the gym at 4:30, her determination, smile, and just exuberance for life would have been inspiring and motivating, better than their morning cup of coffee and brighter than the sunrise.

There are so many more stories I could write about. I’m so thankful for pictures and videos on her social media that I have been replaying just to hear her laugh. When I got the news yesterday, I happened to be at the beach, which was her favorite place, her happy place she called it. Devastated and shocked beyond belief I took off walking down the beach collecting rocks and sand to make her a gift, something to remember her by and keep close to me. I looked out at the horizon, the clouds were gray and overcast with the sun rays poking through and reflecting light on the water. That was her life, beautiful shining light in a dark world. She so loved the LORD that the love of Jesus just radiated from her. I looked up and started talking to her, “I know you're up there with Jesus making Him laugh, full of joy dancing and singing. And there’s no place else you’d rather be but I’m going to miss you. I know you have so much energy and you couldn’t sit still for a moment so I know you’re already asking Jesus to give you something to do. Promise me you’ll ask Him to be assigned to the welcoming committee and welcome me home when I get there.” I could totally picture her, with her curly hair up in a head band, her smile radiating and her laugh making even the angels laugh, with an ID badge that says, “Hi, my name is Donna and I’m here to welcome you to the happiest place in the universe. Come this way and let me take you to see Jesus. He’s super cool in person! And then after, I’ll show you around, I’ll help you set up your mansion, and I’ll introduce you to some angels….” And she’d take off walking and talking 100 mph hour in front of me as I ran to catch up.    

So, my dear friend has inspired me again.
To continue running so I can finish my race with endurance and cross that finish line and reach for my prize given to me by Jesus.
But more importantly, to make others laugh and feel loved like she did. I know she’s watching me from heaven. I want to make her smile and laugh at my antics to spread the gospel. I want her to see me do silly skits to show God’s love to my preschoolers. I want her to see me reach out and help those she helped in children’s ministry. I want to hug those who loved her and will need a hug. She was one of my prayer partners so I want to keep praying and inviting others to join me.  I want God to use my life to leave a legacy of blessing others because that is her legacy.

What a gift it is to know that death for the Believer is not death. It’s just stepping out of this body and going home to be with Jesus. For Jesus promised that where He is we will be also. And where He is there is fullness of joy. So, I’m sad for us who have to wait to see her again but happy for her because I know she is in the arms of Jesus getting a hug from the King of hugs.

Until I see you again my friend, this post is a dedication of what you mean to me. I'll keep running until I catch up to you.

Psalm 116:15-19 (MSG)
What can I give back to GOD for the blessings he’s poured out on me?
I’ll lift high the cup of salvation—a toast to GOD!
I’ll pray in the name of GOD;
I’ll complete what I promised GOD I’d do, and I’ll do it together with his people.
When they arrive at the gates of death, GOD welcomes those who love him.
Oh, GOD, here I am, your servant, your faithful servant: set me free for your service!
I’m ready to offer the thanksgiving sacrifice and pray in the name of GOD.
I’ll complete what I promised GOD I’d do, and I’ll do it in company with his people,
In the place of worship, in GOD’s house, in Jerusalem, GOD’s city.
Hallelujah!

Love,
Yolanda

Donations are being raised for her memorial and medial expenses to help the family. If you are interested in donating, please visit:  Memorial and Medical Costs for Donna Montes' Family

My Daughter Is My Superhero

My daughter is my superhero.
Some people’s favorite heroes shoot webs from their hands or fly in iron suits.
But my favorite superhero is one who:
Stands when everyone else sits
And keeps going when everyone else quits.

I shamefully admit, when it comes to challenges, my first impulse is to quit but not my kid.
This week my daughter went through what she has termed, “Hell Week!”
She decided to join a First Responder's Explorer Program. In order to graduate and make it into the program, you have to survive one week of boot camp, which includes 10-hour days filled with long runs, hundreds of push ups, calisthenics, gear inspection, and testing.
The boot camp is challenging enough but, unfortunately for her, her high school volleyball tryouts ended up being the same week. So, everyday, she had to leave an intense 10-hour boot camp and go straight to a grueling 2-hour volleyball camp.

On Tuesday morning, at 4 a.m. she woke up throwing up. Dehydration, fatigue, lack of sufficient calories, and nerves had set in. She continued to throw up until about 10 minutes before we had to leave. With her head in the toilet, I asked her, “What do you want to do?”
Her reply, “Let’s go.”
On Wednesday morning, at 4 a.m. she woke up throwing up.
Concerned mama is asking, “What do you want to do?” because I admit I was ready to throw in the towel.
Her reply, “Let’s go.”
On Thursday with a 6 mile run ahead of her, she woke up at 4 a.m. throwing up. By now, mama is saying, “I want to quit.”
Her reply, “Let’s go.”
On Friday morning I was praying that with the long run behind her the throwing up would stop, but no. By this time, my mama bear heart was breaking for her. I asked her, "What do you want to do?"
Her reply, "Let's go."

So, that’s why my daughter is my superhero. A real hero is not one who gets their supernatural powers from a spider or alien planet. To me, a hero is someone who when emptied – literally – of any sustenance, power, or strength of their own, lays on the floor and allows God to fill them up with His power. Every morning with her head in the toilet, I would lay my hand on her head and pray God’s sustaining power and strength over her. My husband would lay hands on her at night and pray for her. I knew she wasn’t able to keep down adequate calories or liquids for the level of this physical training so I rallied family and friends to pray for her every morning and through out the day. And, I know it was only Jesus and His ministering angels who carried her through this.

On Thursday morning while she was collapsed on her bed, I read my daughter the story of Paul’s thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:10). The Apostle Paul wrote that after he had been saved, he received amazing revelations of the LORD and had once had a heavenly experience where he visited the third heaven. Paul was very careful not to boast about these visions and revelations, but Satan still gave him a physical infirmity that greatly pained him. Satan was trying to hinder Paul’s mission and ministry. Paul pleaded with the LORD three times to remove the thorn in his flesh but Jesus told him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My Strength is made perfect in your weakness.” Paul did not complain after that. He said, “Therefore mostly gladly will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distress, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

I told my daughter, who dressed in her uniform looked pale and weak, and was facing a six-mile run, “God has an amazing plan for your future. He has a calling on your life and that is why the enemy is trying to discourage you and prevent you from completing this race He has set before you. But we are going to pray like Paul because God does not play favorites with His children (Romans 2:11). The promise He made to Paul is the same promise He makes to you and me.

Here was my prayer for my daughter:

LORD, You told Paul, “In your weakness I will make you strong.” Well, my daughter is at her weakest point, Jesus. You said you’d make her strong in her weakness. So LORD JESUS, You need to be her bread of life and her living water today. Mount her up on wings of eagles and let her run and not grow faint. Surround her with Your ministering angels to sustain her and carry her if need be. She’s in Your hands LORD. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.

How about you? Do you have a child who is running on physical, mental, or spiritual emptiness? Are they weak and need to be strengthened? Or maybe it’s you who feel empty. I know during this week, the burden to pray for my daughter was too heavy for me to carry alone. I felt overwhelmed by worry so I called out for help. Jesus never intended for His followers to be alone in our spiritual journey. He wants us to be united - one body and one church. He has promised where 2 or 3 are gathered in His name, He will show up. So, don’t be afraid or too prideful to ask for help. When we call out for help, that's when God hears from heaven and unleashes His angel army to conquer our enemies. Start a prayer chain via text messages. When we ask people to pray, not only are we strengthening our own faith, but also we are strengthening theirs. That’s what the church body is all about. It's not a building. It's a community sharing each other's burdens.

So, this mama is very proud of her little superhero! I know the LORD has an amazing plan for her life because He gave me this verse for her, “But as for you, Daughter, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded.” (2 Chronicles 15:7)

The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. (2 Chronicles 16:9) Do you need to be strengthened today? He is searching for you!

Love,
Yolanda
Dedicated to my little Explorer.

Does God Still Love Me When I'm Grumpy? - Life Lesson from Grumpy Maya

I read this great scripture today,
Proverbs 19:3 (NLT)
People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the LORD.
Another translation said,
People’s own foolishness ruins their lives, but in their minds they blame the LORD.

That is so true.

How many times do we question God when things don’t go our way, or worse we get mad at God. Last Sunday, my pastor read a great quote:
“One flat tire will turn us 70% atheist.”
It took me a second to figure out what he meant, but then it hit me. One small thing in our life can go wrong and suddenly we question our faith.

Recently I read a book to my preschoolers called, Maya Was Grumpy, by Courtney Pippin-Mathur. I chose the book because some of my little ones had walked in that morning very grumpy and grouchy.
In the story, Maya wakes up grumpy but she doesn’t know why. She doesn’t want to play, she’s snarls at her cat, she grumbles at her siblings, and when asked about it she just growls.
One line in the book really struck me that morning,
“The only thing Maya wanted to do was grouch around the house and share her bad mood.”

I shared with my preschoolers how when we are grumpy we can share our bad mood with others by the things we say or do. One person can share it to another person, and so on and so on, and soon the whole classroom can become grumpy and grouchy. I asked, "We don't want a grumpy classroom, do we?" They all exclaimed, "No!!"

I was reminded of a very recent event in my life where I turned into Grumpy Maya. An unexpected accident happened to one of my daughter’s friends, which resulted in an injury to her foot and a 4-1/2 hour stay in the emergency room. Thankfully, the injury was not too serious but instead of rising to the occasion, and being Super-Holy Christian to the rescue, I’m ashamed to say I became Grouchy Maya. Over four hours in an emergency room with a revolving door of incoming DUI patients and crazy criminals can do that to you. So, I sulked in the corner. I grouched, I grumbled, I complained to God, and I would have even snarled at a cat if there would have been one handy. My teen daughter on the other hand, sat with her friend in complete patience and godly love. She shared joy while I chose to share my bad mood. Very humbling.

So, when I heard my pastor say, “One flat tire can turn us 70% atheist”, I thought, “Wow, one midnight emergency room visit can turn me 70% atheist and destroy my Christian witness.” When I should have used the opportunity to share love, I chose to share my bad mood.

Like I told my preschoolers, even if we wake up grumpy, God still loves us. If we ask Him to forgive us of our bad mood, He will wash away our grumpiness by the blood of Jesus who died on the cross for our sins. He will give us His Holy Spirit that will replace our grumpy mood with His joy. And God wants us to share our joy with others. How do we share our joy with others? Through words of encouragement, kindness, and love. That morning in class, I took a moment to give a compliment to each child:
“Your braids look so cute today.”
“I like how you sing our morning song with so much enthusiasm.”
“You are a great artist.”
“You are a kind friend.”
As I made eye contact with each little friend, their face lit up, as the power of kind words changed their grumpy into joy. Their smiles and laughter filled my heart with joy. And now, joy and the love of God filled our classroom.

What an amazing God we serve! His mercy is new every morning and His love is never ending. This summer, as I have made it my mission to share the love of God with these little ones, God is really teaching me some lessons and has opened my eyes to His love for me, even when Miss Yolanda turns into Grumpy Maya.

Psalm 103:8-18 (MSG)

GOD makes everything come out right; he puts victims back on their feet.

He showed Moses how he went about his work, opened up his plans to all Israel.

GOD is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, he’s rich in love.

He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever.

He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.

As high as heaven is over the earth, so strong is his love to those who fear him.

And as far as sunrise is from sunset, he has separated us from our sins.

As parents feel for their children, GOD feels for those who fear him.

He knows us inside and out, keeps in mind that we’re made of mud.

Men and women don’t live very long; like wildflowers they spring up and blossom, But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly,

leaving nothing to show they were here.

GOD’s love, though, is ever and always,

eternally present to all who fear him,

Making everything right for them and their children 

as they follow his Covenant ways and remember to do whatever he said.

I pray your grumpy turns to joy by the power of the Holy Spirit, that the love of God abounds in your heart uplifting your spirit, and that you draw nearer and near to light and truth of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Love,
Miss Yolanda
This post is dedicated to my Gidget.

Your Hand of Blessing - Preschool Lesson on Psalm 139

Today, during my preschool chapel time, I decided it was time to take out the Big Kid Bible. Usually, I’ll read the students stories from the Children’s Bible, however, during my personal devotion time, the words to Psalm 139 read as a personal love letter and I just had to share it with my little ones.

As I read through God’s Word this morning, one phrase from the Psalm really touched my heart:

“You place Your hand of blessing on my head.”

When I read that, I suddenly got an image of God’s gentle hand resting on my head, comforting me like a Father. It reminded me of a sermon I heard last Sunday from Pastor Ray Bentley. Pastor Ray said, “The Lord has given us authority to bless others.”

"The person who blesses others will prosper; he who satisfies others will be satisfied himself." Proverbs 11:25

Pastor Ray talked about how Joshua blessed the tribes of Israel, speaking words of blessing over them as they left for their assigned allotments of land. Joshua told them, “Love the LORD your God, walk in His ways, keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul…Return with much riches to your tents, with very much livestock, with silver, with gold, with bronze, with iron, and with very much clothing.” (Joshua 22:6, 8) Joshua's words of exhortation were prayers for their future prosperity and outpouring of God's blessings because of their faithful dedication to the LORD.

The pastor encouraged us to exercise our right and authority to bless people in the Name of Jesus. He said to get specific in our blessing, praying blessing on our children, spouse, friends, and even our enemies. I started to think about my daughter, how I should lay hands on her head and speak blessing over her daily. Speaking aloud blessings for her future plans, academic and sport achievements, her spiritual walk with Jesus, and her relationships. Be encouraged and watch Pastor Ray's sermon, Victory - Joshua 22.

I also got the feeling that the LORD was asking me to read this passage of scripture to my preschoolers, blessing them in His Name, and sharing with them His love letter.

Here’s my preschool version of Psalm 139:
O LORD, You look into our hearts and you know everything about us.
You know when we’re sitting here on the carpet or when we’re standing up.
You know everything we’re thinking.
You see us when we go on a trip or when we stay home.
You know everything we do.
You know everything we’re going to say even before we say it, LORD.
You go before us and you follow us.
You place Your hand of blessing on our head.
[Then, I stood up and placed my hand gently on the head of some of my little ones, making them giggle.]
We can never escape from Your Spirit!
We can never get away from Your Presence!
[Then I reminded them that when we invite Jesus to live in our hearts, His Spirit lives in our hearts forever.]
You made every part of our body. Thank you for making us so wonderful!
You watched us as we were being formed in our mommy’s bellies.
[That really made them laugh]
You saw us before we were even born!
Every day of our life is written down in Your book, God.
[I explained how God is writing down everything we do in His book, and when we do something that doesn’t please the LORD, we ask for forgiveness, and Jesus erases that page. So every morning, we get a fresh clean page for God to write on. And when He sees us doing something pleasing to Him, He writes it down, “Saying, good job, My child.” And one day, He’ll read it back to us and place a crown on our head.]

I ended my little Bible time, praying God’s Word with my little ones and told them praying God’s Word is powerful! One of the students remembered a declaration that I’m teaching them this summer and said, “Jesus Power?”

“Yes,” I said, “Jesus Power helps us do what is pleasing in God’s eyes.”

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know all the things I’m worried about.
Point out anything in me that doesn’t please You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
In Jesus Name. Amen.

It’s amazing how receptive preschool children are to the Word of God. They get it, even when using Miss Yolanda’s Big Girl Bible. That’s why Jesus said, “Anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:15)

We must be receptive and hungry for God's Word. When we neglect to read it, we are missing out on the greatest love letter ever written. Do you want to know how much God loves you? Open up His Word and He'll tell you.

Love,
Miss Yolanda

Wonder Woman in Training

I recently watched the Wonder Woman movie and I’m obsessed!
I literally want to be Wonder Woman.
I may have to buy a Wonder Woman costume for my preschool dress-up parties. One of the awesome things about working with preschoolers is they don’t judge you for wearing superhero costumes or pajamas.

I absolutely love when a movie inspires me. Wonder Woman is strong, beautiful, loyal, courageous, honest, and a kick-butt awesome fighter. She's a great role model for young, and not so young women, to be warriors - standing for what is right when the world wants us to sit down and let evil triumph.

But, beyond that, my favorite part of the movie was one very specific line spoken by Wonder Woman:

“It’s not about what we deserve but about what we believe. And I believe in love.”

For writers, one line can make or break a book or a movie. One line can grip your heart. That line spoken by Wonder Woman is the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a nutshell. It’s a beautiful explanation of the unconditional love of God and the salvation message.

This summer, I started a Bible Study for teens. Everyone says to start with the book of John, so I wrote a 2-page study on Chapter 1. Verse one says, “In the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  I explained how Jesus is called the Word of God (Revelation 19:13). I traced Jesus all the way back to Genesis 1:3, explaining in great detail, how Jesus has always been, He was not created by God. Jesus is God, and Jesus was involved in the creation process. Simple, right? Wrong. Between verse 1 and verse 2, I lost them. Teens are easily distracted.

So, I basically said, “OK, put down your Bibles and just ask me questions." Wow, teens can ask some pretty tough questions when given a safe place and freedom from judgment. After sweating through my shirt, I basically went back to the basics. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that who ever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” And, because God is a miracle worker, He took my complicated attempt at sharing the simplicity of the Gospel, and spoke to their hearts, and they prayed to receive Jesus as their Savior.

However, after seeing the Wonder Woman movie, I realized that I should have just have let her explain it to them. One line was all it took.

“It’s not about what we deserve. It’s about what we believe. And I believe in love.”

You see, that's the question God is asking humanity, "What do you believe in?"

God says of Himself, "I am love. I’m the very definition of love. Not human love that is conditional on your actions but true love that is unconditional." God's love cannot be earned which is why we don't deserve it.

There is only one thing God asks of us.
Not to earn His love. He already loves us.
This ONE thing allows us to live with Him for eternity.
He asks us to BELIEVE.
Not just in Him, because many people claim to believe in some form of god. They call their gods by all sorts of names.
However, the God of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of the Old and New Testament, the One True God (Isaiah 45:5), requires one thing for us to be saved from judgment and gain eternal life: belief in His Son, Jesus.

God is a holy God. He cannot be in the presence of sin. Our sin separates us from Him even though He loves us. That is why God sent His only Son to die on the cross. Our sin makes us deserving of judgment but Jesus took that judgment on Himself. Jesus took upon Himself what He DID NOT deserve – our punishment - to give us what we DO NOT deserve – victory over death and eternal life with Him in Heaven.

 1 Peter 2:24 (NLT)
He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.

Psalm 103:10-13 (NLT)
He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.
The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.

It’s all about WHO we believe in. Jesus asked His disciples, "Who do you say that I am?"  That is the question God wants us to answer. Our answer is what determines our eternal destiny - heaven or hell.

God’s Word says, “To those who receive Jesus, my Son, as their Savior, to those who believe in His Name, I give the right to become My children, children of God. And because you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God, and you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you are saved.” John 1:12; Romans 10:9

That’s it! That’s all God desires from us. Belief in His Son.
God sacrificed His greatest treasure on the cross in order to make us His greatest treasure in heaven.
Forever called, Children of God, co-heirs with Christ.

So, Wonder Woman was right. It’s not what we deserve but what we believe that matters.

Wonder Woman learns that mankind has both good and evil in them – light and darkness. And even with all her supernatural abilities, she’s not able to defeat the darkness.
She says, “Inside each of them is light and dark and no superhero can defeat that. Only love can defeat that.”

That was such a profound statement. Each and every one of us has darkness in our heart. For all of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) There is no superhero that can defeat the darkness, only love can bring light to the darkness. God is love (1 John 4:8) and God is Light (1 John 1:5) and God's love and light are manifested and glorified in Jesus. That is why Jesus called Himself the Light of the world (John 8:12) and said that anyone who followed Him would not walk in darkness. It’s only through the love of God and the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross that mankind is able to overcome darkness.

I'd like to end with a conversation I had with one of my teens. She was trying to make herself feel better by taking selfie after selfie, attempting to find her self-worth in her outward appearance:

Me: “What makes you special?”
Teen: “I look cute?”
Me: “No. You look cute, but that doesn’t make you special.”
Teen: “Because I’m me?”
Me: “God made you in His image, but what makes you special?”
Teen: With doubt in her eyes, she answered, “Because God loves me?”
Me: “YES! YES! YES! That’s it! You got it!”

I was rewarded with a huge smile that lit up her eyes.
I may not have a cool glowing rope or metal armbands that stop bullets, but I believe in LOVE! I believe God’s love conquers all. And that makes me a Wonder Woman in God’s eyes!

How about you? Are you willing to share God’s love with someone who’s lost in darkness? That’s all it takes to be a superhero for Jesus, a willing heart. He’ll supply the superpower!

Love,
Yolanda aka Wonder Woman in training

A Preschool Tale of God's Love and Captain America

This summer in preschool, I’m teaching the morning Bible lesson. I’m very excited!
When thinking about what theme I should share, I felt like the LORD wanted me to concentrate on His love. All week, I’ve emphasized that from the very beginning God formed us in His image. His whole purpose for creating us was to share His amazing love with us.  From the moment He created Adam and Eve, He looked upon them with a Father's love. And every one of us, from the time He knits us together in our mother's womb, are made in His image. He looks upon us through the eyes of a Father's unconditional love.

1 John 3:1 (MSG)
What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are.

Today, because my little guys love superheroes, I decided to tell a preschool tale using my favorite superhero, Captain America, action figure. Yes, I have my own Captain America action figure. Don't judge me.

I showed the class a picture of Captain America before he turned into a superhero. You see, Steve Rogers was a skinny, small, weak kid but he had a very big heart. He wanted to be strong and brave and to defend his country but people would not let him because they told him he was too small. He was ridiculed because he was so small, even his helmet would not fit right. So, as all his friends joined the army, he was left behind.

My preschool boys were not happy to discover that Captain America used to be a scrawny little guy. I could see the denial in the eyes of one of my very devout superhero followers. He looked down at the superhero image of Captain America on his t-shirt and at that picture of Steve Rogers, and I could almost hear him thinking, “No way!!”

Here was how my tale unfolded….
(And yes, I know it’s not really how it happened but it’s my preschool tale and I’m sticking with it.)

Captain America was so sad about being small and rejected, until he remembered the story of David and Goliath from the Bible. David was very small boy when he defeated the giant Goliath with just 5 stones. David defeated Goliath because David believed that God would make him strong and give him victory. It was David’s faith in God that made him big and brave.

So, Captain America decided to open up the Bible and pray to God.

Prayer from Portions of Psalm 118 (CEV)

I love you, LORD God, and you make me strong.

You are my mighty rock, my protector, my shield, and my powerful weapon.

I praise you, LORD!

I prayed, and you rescued me from the bad guys.

The bad guys tried to tie me up in ropes and set a trap for me. 

I was in terrible trouble when I called out to you, God.

God you heard me and answered my prayer.

You, God, scattered my enemies with arrows of lightning.

You reached down from heaven, and you lifted me up!

You rescued me from enemies, who were mean and too powerful for me.

When they attacked, you defended me.

When I was fenced in, you freed and rescued me, because you love me.

You are good to me, LORD, because I do right, 

and You reward me because I am innocent.

I do what you want and never turn to do evil.

I keep your Word in mind so I won’t sin against you.

I try to do right;

You are always loyal to Your loyal people, 

and You are faithful to the faithful.

You, the LORD God, keep my lamp burning and turn darkness to light.

You help me defeat armies.

Your way is perfect, LORD, and Your Word is correct.

You, GOD, are a shield for those who run to you for help.

You alone are God!

Only you are a mighty rock.

 You give me strength and guide me right.

You make my feet run fast and you help me stand strong.

 You alone are my shield.

Your right hand supports me, and by coming to help me,

you have made me famous.

You helped me win against the bad guys. 

You are the living LORD! I will praise you.

You are a mighty rock. I will honor You for keeping me safe.

You protected me from the bad guys

and made me much greater than all of them.

I will praise you, LORD, and tell everyone about you.

You made me a Superhero for Jesus and I’m in the Lord’s Army.

Your faithful love for me will never end.

Thank you, Jesus.

As I came to the end of my preschool tale, I told my little ones, “And that is how Captain America went from a small little guy to a big, brave superhero for Jesus. And you can be a superhero for Jesus too, by hiding God's Word in your heart, praying like David prayed, and having faith in God like David. When you invite Jesus to come live in your heart, Jesus comes in and His Spirit makes you brave, strong, kind, loving, and faithful. He fills your heart with His love and with Jesus on your side, you can defeat any giant in our life.”

When I asked my kiddos, "Who wants to be a superhero for Jesus?", they all raised their hands and prayed. So, I think Captain America will forgive me for embellishing his tale a bit for the sake of happy little hearts filled with the love of God. And I pray God smiles down at me for my crazy preschool tales. They are told in love by a daughter who loves her Heavenly dad.

How about you? Are you ready to be a Superhero for Jesus? I hope so because the God of Angel Armies is looking for a few good men and women.

Love,
Miss Yolanda